Suns rookie Oso Ighodaro on increased minutes: ‘Rewarding to see the work pay off’

As Phoenix Suns big man Oso Ighodaro sees more playing time as of late, the rookie says the opportunity to step up in a greater role has been a rewarding experience.

Ighodaro explained to Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo the difficulty of going through stretches of seeing little playing time earlier in the season and having to stay prepared.

“It’s definitely rewarding. Not playing can be tough, especially mentally and just having to stay consistent so when your name gets called, you’re ready,” Ighodaro said. “It’s definitely rewarding to see the work pay off.”

In 49 games this season, Ighodaro is averaging 3.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and an assist per game. He has had an increased role in the last five games for the team, including 32 minutes against the Sacramento Kings on Friday where he scored 11 points with six rebounds in the Suns’ 122-106 win.

Ighodaro broke down how his defensive intensity, alongside forwards Ryan Dunn and Cody Martin, has played a role in the Suns winning three of their last four games. The team has jumped back into the final spot in the NBA Play-in Tournament.

“For the three of us, a lot of our roles on the team is defense and energy and I think we’ve done a good job these last couple of games of executing our role,” Ighodaro said. “I think we’ve played well these last couple of games and we’ve had a lot of energy. The ball has been moving so I wouldn’t say we were responsible for it but I think we’ve done a good job committing to our role and bringing energy.”

Suns’ Royce O’Neale impressed by rookies performances

Suns guard Royce O’Neale also joined Burns and Gambo on Thursday and said he has been impressed by Ighodaro and Dunn continuing to work, even when they weren’t getting much playing time earlier in the season.

“They’re pros, pros. They had that time when they were playing a lot and then going from not playing, starting, contributing in major ways. So I think just learning the experience of the rookie year, the ups and downs, but staying level headed and just improving their game each and every day and impacting the game whenever they get those opportunities to play,” O’Neale said. 

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